Paper-folding machine.



W. B. MGNAMARA.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED Amma, 1909.

LU63,993 Patented June 10,1913.

10 BHBETS-SHEET l.

W. B. MUNAMARA.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

PPLIOATION FILED APB. as, 1909.

U68,93 Patented June 10,1913.

10 BHEBTB-BHEBT 2.

W. B. MONAMARA.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIQATION FILED APR. ze, 1909.

Patented June 10, 1913.

l0 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W. B. MoN-AMARA.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED @11.26, 1900.

1.63993. Patented June 10,1913.

10 SHEETS-SEEBT 4.

W. B. MUNAMARA.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED un. zu, 1909.

LUBQS. Patented June 10,1913.

.-.i l0 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

jiu IW H/MJYaW/am W. B. MGNAMARA.

l PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. ze, 1909.

LGSQS. Patented June 10,1913.

10 BIIBETSw'BHEBT 8.

L S3 finaal/fw WZMaM/au W. B. MGNAMARA.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 26, woo.

Patented June 10, 1913.

10 SHEETS-BHEET '7.

W. B. MGNAMARA.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. ze, 1909.

Patented June 10, 1913.

10 BEEETS-8HEET B.

Aww @mw kw (mw www @im [Il MWI/n W. B. MONAMARA. PAPER FOLDING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED APB. ze. 1909.

Patented June 10, 1913.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

W. B. MGNAMARA.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE. AiPLIoATIoN FILED APB. 26.1909.

Patented June 10, 1913.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 10.

TATFS PAPER-FQLDING MACHINE.

rncaeae.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented June 10, 1913.

Application tiled April 26, 1909. Serial No. 492,408.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WrLnUa B. MONA- MARA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State o1 Missouri, have invented certain' new and useful Improvements in Paper- Fclding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to paper-folding machines and my object is to produce a machine o1 this character which willaccurately fold sheets of paper efficiently, reliably and expeditiously.

A still further object is to produce a machine of the character outlined of simple, strong, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction.

With these and other objects in view, as hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar' features of construction and organization as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a top plan view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3, shows a view of the opposite side of the lower portion of the machine, from that shown by Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is an enlarged cross section taken on the line lV--IV of Fig. 1 with the first folder omitted. Fig. 5, is a cross section of a part of the machine takeli on the line V-V of F ig. (S. Fig. is a central vertical section taken on the dotted line VI of Fig. 5. Fig. 7, is an enlarged plan view of the front end of the machine, with certain parts omitted and partly broken away. Fig. 8, is a cross section taken on the line VIII-*VIII of Fig. 1. Fig. il, is an enlarged cross section on thc line IBL-IX of Fig. l1.v Fig. 10, is a cross section of a part of the machine on the line X-X of Fig. 2. Fig. 11, is a fragmentary horizontal section on the line XI-XI of Fig. 3. Fig. 12, is an enlarged vertical fragmentary .section on line XIl-XII of Fig. 7 at the front or receive ing end of the folded-envelop conveyor. Fig. 13, is a fragmentary vertical section on line XIII of Fig. 8. Fig. 14, is an enlarged perspective view of part of the` mech- ,anism shown by Fig. ll'Fig. 15, is a View ot' the opposite side of part of the Isame. Fig. 16, is an enlarged perspective view of part of the mechanism whereby the folded sheet is inserted in the envelop. Fig. 17, is an enlarged plan view of the belts for transferring the -sheet from the first to the second folding mechanism. Fi 18, is an enlarged vertical section on the line XVIII-XVIII of Fig. 5. Fig. 19, is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the lower guide way for the sheet in its first fold and of a part ot the echanism for effecting the second fold. iig. 20, is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the second o0ursechanging feed mechanism of the completely folded sheet. Fig. 21, is a vertical section on the line XXI-XXI of Fig. 10.

In the said drawings a frame comprises l a pair of parallel base bars 1, a series of cross bars 2 connecting the same, a series of vertical vuprlghts 3 erected upon the base bars, a pair of parallel top-bars 4 arrangedQ parallel with and vertically above bars 1 and mounted upon uprights 3 and connected by suitable cross bars 5.

Arranged at the frontend of the frame and supported in any suitable manner, is a feed box 6 having its bottom 7 pitched downward and rearward and open at its rear side so that sheets of paper 8 arranged therein shall gravitate downward and rearward and thus insure frictional Contact of the rearmost sheet with a transverse sectional roller 9 mounted upon a cross shaft 10 journaled in bearing brackets 11 secured to bars 1, the said roller being equipped with a `friction pad or shoe 12 to impart upward sliding movement to the sheets as they are successively encountered. Above the sectional feed roller 9, the rearmost sheet engages a plurality of belts 13, each of said belts engaging a belt wheel 14, a belt wheel 15 vertically above wheel 14 and rejecting above the bars 4C of the frame, a elt Wheel 16 rearward of wheel 15 in longitudinal alinement with the same, and a belt wheel 17. The wheels 14 are secured rigidly on a transverse shaft 18 journaled in brackets 19, projecting from the front uprights 3. Wheels 15 are secured on a transverse shaft 20 journaled in the upright bearing arms 22 of a pair of brackets 21, mounted upon brackets 23 projecting forwardly from the main frame. The wheels 16 are mounted upon a shaft 24 journaled in bearings 25 secured to side bars 4. The wheels 17 are mounted on a shaft 26 journaled in brackets IOL 27 projecting from the front uprights 3. The brackets 21 are also equipped to form journals for shafts 28 provided with a series of belt wheels 29 arranged forward of and adjacent to wheels 15, and said wheels 2S) are oorniected by belts 30 with a corresponding series of wheels 31 also bearing a similar journaled relation to brackets 21 and arranged above and slightly rearward of wheels 15 so that the lower strands of belts 30 shall curve around wheels- 15 at the outer sides of belts 13 engaging the same, to cooperate with the last-named belts in causing each sheet of paper to move upward between wheels 15 and 29 and then rearwardly in a horizontal direction between wheels 15 and 31, belts 30 being held at the desired tension by means of belt-wheels 32 bearing a journaled relation to brackets033 mounted upon brackets 21 and adapted to be longitudinally adjusted upon the latter by screw rods 34 carried by brackets 21 as shown in Fig. 1. Each sheet as it passes rearwardly upon the feed belts 13 is conducted into the flaring mouth of a sheet metal folder, consisting of a horizontal ,V-shaped bottom 35 equipped at its'converging margins Wlth upwardly and inwardly curved side walls 36, terminating at their ends a distance apart barely exceeding. the Width of two thicknesses of paper so that the sheet of paper shall be eectively folded or doubled as it emerges from the folder between said walls. For the purpose of facilitating the proper and accurate folding ofthe sheet along its longitudinal center, I provide a pair of sharp edged creasing wheels 37 and 3 8, the former being journaled in a bifurcated arm 39 pivoted on the shaft of wheels 31. Creasing wheel 38 is journaled in the bifurcated low end of an arm 40 pivoted on a cross-rod 41 mounted in vertical standards 42 upon side bars 4, these creasing Wheels being disposed vertically above and engaging a conveyor belt 43 engaging pulleys 44 and 45 projecting up into openings 46 and 47 in the bottom of the folder. Said belt comes into frictional engagement with each sheet at the points where the former projects upward through the openings 46 and 47 so as to feed the paper positively through the folder and is driven through the rotation of belt wheel 44 mounted rigidly on the shaft 24, wheel 45 being driven through the movement of said belt 43, and thecreasing wheels are held down inoperative position through the force of gravity. Registering with the vertical slot formed by the adjacent rear ends of the Walls of the folder is a pair of guideways 48 and 49, bot-h being U-shape and the former inverted. The inverted guideway receives the adjacent upper edges of the folded sheet and the non-inverted guideway receives the lower or doubled edge of the sheet., the said guideways describing a one-quarter circle adjacent to the discharge end of the folder and then extending in a direct line to the right where they are bent to seinicircular form and then extend transversely toward the opposite side of the frame and terminate at a suitable distance therefrom as .shown most Clearly in Fi S. 1 and 5, and said guideways are connecte togcther by the vertical tie-bars 50.

51 and 52 are vertical shafts arranged respectively at the concave and convex sides of the quadrant-slmped portion of the guideways and journaled at their upper ends in a bar 53 bridging guideway 48 and supported and braced as hereinafter explained, and mounted upon said vertical shafts respectively and centrally between the guideways are belt wheels 54 and 55.

56 is a belt bent to substantially U-for1n and at one end engaging belt wheel 54. From the same the belt extends to the right with its rear side in the vertical plane of that portion of the guideways connecting their quadrant and` semicircular or return bends, the front side of the belt engaging a belt wheel 57, and the rear side extending around a belt wheel 61 in the vertical plane of the semicircular er return-bend portions of the guideways. The other strand of the belt extends directly rearward from belt wheel 57 to a belt wheel 66 at the opposite side of the belt wheel 61 from belt wheel 57 and from said wheels 61 and 66 the belt extends transversely to the left-hand side of the machine and engages a belt wheel 67 with one strand in the vertical plane of that portion of the guideways extending from the semi-circular portions to the left beyond the vertical plane of the longitudinal center of the machine. A belt 64 at one end engages beltwheel 61 and at such end is interposed between said wheel and the portion of the first-named belt.

described as engaging said wheel. The opposite end of belt 64 engages a belt wheel 62 on shaft 63 and between said belt wheels 61 and 62, belt 64 engages belt wheel 55 and from said wheel to wheel 61 bears frictionally against the belt 56 where it connects wheels 54 and 61. The rear strand of belt 64 between wheels 61 and 62 engages the front strand of that portion of belt 56 connecting wheels 66 and 67.

The shafts 5S, 60 and 68 are journaled at their upper ends in a bar 59, shaft 60 being also suitably journaled at its lower end in a bearing lug 60? of the adjacent cross bar 5, see Fig. 5. The lower ends of shafts 58 and 68 are journaled. in standards 59 and 59h, rising from the adjacent top bar 4. Shafts 63 and 69 are journalcd at their upper ends in a bar 59 and at their lower ends in standards 59 rising from the other top bar 4. 59? and 59 are brace bars extending inwardly f'rombars 59 and 59d respectively to bar 58` to brace and support the latter as shown iny Fi s. l, 5 and (5, it being ofcourse und'erstoodt at any other suitable means for supporting the various vertical shafts of the sheaves or guide wheels for belts 56 and 64 may be resorted' to.

Als the folded sheet attains a position in therear parts of guideways 48 and 49 with its vertical edges behind the bars 50, it is engaged by theV friction shoes 70 and 71 of a pair of rollers 72 and 7 3 respectively mounted on a pair of transverse shafts 74 and 75 in a horizontal plane just above the lower or Usshaped portion of the guideway 49, which portion of the guideway 1s provided with. an opening 76 in its bottom to permit said rollers to force the folded sheet downwardly and rearwardly through the curved guideway 77 onto the bottom 78 of the second folder, said bottom diminishing in width to within a. short distance of its rear end and being formed with folding wings 79 and 80, the former below the latter.

The wings 79 and 80 are of sutlicient width to bridge the reduced portion of the bottom of the folder and project upward from the side margins of the bottom of the latter and converge downwardly and rearwardly for the purpose of forming a double fold in the previously folded sheet, at right angles to the firstfold, the wing 79 projecting farther forward than wing 80 for the purpose of starting its fold first so that the fold made by wing 80 shall overlie it, the sheet after being thus doubly folded being adapted to easily pass into an ordinary envelop, and in order to compel the sheet as it passes through said folder to be doubly folded as described inv lines parallel with each other, a narrow forming plate 81 extends longitudinally through the folder and is supported by a pair of arms 81 rigidly carried by and extending downward and forward from a cross rod 81b carried by a pair of standards 81c upon bars 4f of the frame. Plate 81 is arranged just above and parallel with the bottom of said folder with its side margins almost in contact with the sides of the contracted portion of the folder and in vertical alinement with a pair of creasing wheels 82 journaled on a transverse shaft 83 in the vertical plane by preference, of shafts 68 and G9, the front end of the` forming plate 81 being reduced as at 84 so as to project forwardly between said creasinfr wheels, which also depend through slots 77 in the curved guideway 77, and in order to convey the folded sheet through said folder below the forming plate, preliminary to and during the double folding operation, a pair of longitudinally-extending and horizontallyarranged belts 85 extend through the folder along the side edges of the forming plate and engage at their front ends belt wheels 86 mounted on a suitably journaled transverse shaft 87 and at their rear ends engage belt-wheels 88 mounted on a transverse shaft 89, also journaled in any suitable manner, it being noticed that the lower portion of the curved guidcway 77 is cut away at 90 to accommodate the upper strand of belts 85 and thatv such belts engage belt wheels 88 beyond the rear end of the bot-tomv of the folder and that as the folded sheets are carried by said belts beyond thel rear end of the folder and off the rear end of the forming plate, such sheets are engaged by a roller 91 mounted on a shaft 92 suitably journaled.` As the folded sheet is fed rearwardly by the cooperating belts 85 and roller 91, it passes into a skeleton longitudinally-extending and horizontally-arranged uideway 93. As it reaches the rear end ofg said guideway it is engaged by a pair of belts 94:, and moved at right angles to its former course laterally out of guideway 93 and toward the left side of the machine, the belts 94 being mounted upon belt wheels 95 secured on a longitudinally extending shaft 96 suitably journaled, and belt wheels 97 secured upon a short longitudinal shaft 98 fitting at its ends in the vertical slots 99 (see Fig. 13) of a pair of hangers 100 depending from the frame.

101 indicates a pair of eccentric straps forming a journal for shaft 98 and raised once in each revolution by the eccentrics 102, mounted on a short shaft 103, journaled in the hangers 100, the said eccentrics being adapted once in each revolution, to raise shaft 98 just at the moment the folded sheet attains the rear end of guideway 93 for the purpose of pressing the belts 94; upwardly against the sheet and feeding it laterally as hereinbefcre referred to, the mechanism identified by reference characters 9G to 103 inclusive being referred to hereinafter as course-changing feed mechanism. As said col'11se-cl1anging feed mechanism engages the folded sheet it causes it in its lateral travel, to move through a laterally extending horizontal guideway 104:4 and as it is released by said coursechanging feed mechanism it is engaged and started toward the front end of 4the machine at the left hand side of the same through a guideway by a second coursechanging feed mechanism, said guidewa comprising the short horizontal longitudr nally extending portion 105 at the rear end of the machine, a downwardly and forwardly longitudinally-extending ortion 10b', and a short horizontal longitudinallyextending portion 107, at the tronc end of the, machine, said guideway being supported in any suitable manner and embodying a central longitudinally-extendi'ng bar 108 located between the sides of the guidewayportions and corresponding in form in side view to the same, said bar being disposed. in the plane of the upper sides of the guideway portions and overlying the upper strands of a longitudinally extending belt 109 of the last-named course-changing feed mechanism,

the said belt being so arranged that it is bent to correspond to said bar and the guideway in order to hold the folded sheet pressed against the upper sides of the guideway portions and feed itpositiye] y and reliably forward through the said guideway, it b eing noticed by reference to Fig. 20, that an idler roller 110 is employed to impart the arch or upward bend to said belt, the bend at the lfront end of the inclined pitched portion of the guideway being imparted to the belt by the overlying bar 108. To the front of roller 110 is a guide roller 111 and an underlying guide roller 112, which rollers are engaged by said belt 109, the said belt also engaging a roller 113 at the rear end of the machine and a roller 114 at the front end of the machine journaled in the hanger 115 depending from the front cross bar 5 of the frame.

The guideWay portion 107 opens at its inner side into a guideway 110 pitched downwardly and toward the right-hand side of the machine, the upper part of said guideway being slotted as at 117 to receive the lower strands of a pair of feed belts 118 and the belt Wheels 119 and 120 engaged by said belts, the wheels 119 being mounted on a shaft 121 journaled in and formin Y a part of a swing frame, which also embo ies a pair of swing bars 122 fulcrumed at 123 in brackets 124 depending from the left-hand top bar 4 of the frame. The opposite ends of the bars 122 of the swing frame are pivotally connected to eccentric straps 125 mounted on eccentrics 126 of a longitudinally extending shaft 127, journaled in hangers 128 and provided at one end with a crank-arm 129 and connected by a gear wheel 130 to the gear wheel 131 on a shaft 132 extending longitudinally for nearly the full length of the machine and journaled in bearings 133 projecting from the frame, said shaft heilig equipped with a pair of belt wheels 134 connected by crossed belts 135 to belt Wheels 13G on shaft 121 to rotate the latter and hence belt wheels 119, which VWheels impart movement to belts 118 and belt Wheels 120 on shaft 137 journaled in hangers 138 depending from the frame, thearrangement being such that the eccentrics through the instrumentality of links 125 operate the rock frame at the moment the folded sheet attains the front end of the guid-eway portion 107 so as to cause the belts 118 to'press the front end of said sheet downward and feed it toward the right-hand side of the machine through the guideway 110, and then into a short horizontal guideway consisting of a y bottom plate 139, transverse plates 140 over-.

lying and spaced from the ends of plate 139 and a longitudinal plate 141 overlying and spaced from the right-hand edge of plate 139, it being understood in this connection that the Words right and left are used always with reference to one standing at the front .end or the end of the machine Where the sheets are introduced and looking toward the rear end. Just before a folded sheet passes through the guideway 116 as eX- plained, an envelop hereinafter explained, enters the short horizontal guideway for the purpose of receiving the folded sheet.

At the rear end of the machine is a transverse receptacle 142, for receiving a stack of inverted envclops 143 and extending through said receptacle are the upper strands of a belt conveyor 144 upon which the stack of envelops rest, the said conveyer carrying an upwardly projecting block 145 Within the receptacle to follow and press against said stack for the purpose of holding them firmly together and the most advanced one, viz., that nearest the left-hand side of the machine, in position to be engagedby a feeding device hereinafter referred to. The belts of said conveyer are mounted at their righthand ends upon belt Wheels 146 on shaft 147 journaled in bearings 148 of the frame, and the opposite ends of said b-elts are mounted upon belt wheels 149 on a shaft 150 journaled in bearings 151.

ln a plane above shaft 150 is a short shaft 152 jourualed in bearings 153 rigid With the frame and equipped with a roller v154 for successive engagement with the envelops of the stack to slide them 'vertically upward one at al time, said feed roller having a rubber or equivalent friction pad` 155, to insure a positive feed of the envelops. The shaft 1:32 is provided with a gear Wheel 15G meshing with a gear 157 on a suitably journaledk vertical shaft 158, provided at vits upper endA witha gear Wheel 159,

meshing with a gear 1(30 on shaft 132, the

last-named shaft being also equipped with ar gear 101 engaging a gear wheel 162, the shaft 103, of belt wheel 113.

164 is a vertical plate extending longitudinally of the machine above the stack of enyelops and just inward of the yertical plane in which the enyelops are successively fed upward by the feed roller 154, the lower end of said plate being flared inwardly slightly so thatA the envelops shall not catch upon it but shall pass urnyard at the outer side o fsaid plate until engaged by the rubber-tired or friction Wheels .105, on a shaft 100, journaled at its ends in bearings 107, carried by the adjacent uprights ot' the frame, said shaft being driven in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 8, through the medium of the belt 108,

engaging a belt wheel 169 on shaft. 166, and a belt. wheel 170, on shaft 132. It will thus be seen t-hat just before the' feed roller re- 'leases the envelops, the latter are engaged by the friction rollers 165 and are con finned in their upward movement until their upper edges enter' the inverted U-shaped guideway 171, which extends from one end of the machine to the other, a pair of vertical `plates 171 depending from the rear side of guideway 171 and overlapping the ends ef each envelop as it travels upward to insure that such envelop enters the guideway 171. A U-shaped guideway 172 iS arranged vertically below gnideway 171 and extends from the advanced end of the envelop to the front end of the machine to receive each envelop as the latter after entering the rear end of the guidewa-y 171, is started forward toward the front end of the machine, it heilig noticed by reference to Fig.

S, that the feed rollers 165 release the elivelops just before the upper margins of the latter come into contact with the bridge or top portion of the guideway 171, a feed belt 173 firmly engaging said envelops and pressing them rearwardly against the rear side of said guideway 171, to start them on their forward movement at the instant they are released by said feed rollers 165. Said feed belt 178 engages a belt wheel 174 at the rear end of the machine and a belt wheel 175 at a suitable distance from the front end of the machine, journaled on the stub shaft 176 carried by a bracket 177 (see Fig. 8), secured to t-he frame in any suitable manner. The rear strand of the belt 173 in the vertical plane of the advanced ends ot the envelops, engages an idler roller 177 and from said roller to roller 175 extends through gnideway 171 and against the front wall thereof, that portion of the rear strand of the belt bes tween wheels 177 and 174 occupies a slot 178 in the rear wall of the gnideway and is adapted` for the greater part of the time to extend in alinement with the remainder of such strand, but at regular intervals is swung forwardly so as to occupy the angular position shown in Fig. 11, for the purpose of permitting the upper edges of the envelops to enter the overlying guideway 171 between said angular port-ion of the belt and the rear wall of said guideway. To impart this swinging or oscillatory movement to said portion of the belt, the wheel 171 is journaled on a swing arm 179 pivoted on a bracket 180 rigid with the frame, and the wheel 174 is pro vided with a cam groove 1S] in its upper side engaged by the pin 182 of an arm 183 of bracket 180, and motion is imparted to the belt 173 through the medium of a bevel gear 184 meshing with a bevel gear 185 on a transverse shaft 166,Y journaled in the frame and provided with a bevel gear 187 meshing with a bevel gear 188 on shaft 132.

'lo continue the movement of each envelop in a forward direction as it is about to pass beyond the sphere of action ot' belt 173i, l provide an endless belt 189 to be driven by friction with belt 173, and mounted on belt wheels 190 and 191 journaled between supporting brackets 192 and 193 carried by the frame, the walls of guideway 171 being provided with openings 194 and 195, the former to accommodate belt 171-l and the latter to accomn'iodate belt 189, the front strand of which extends through the guideway through opening 195 and travels against the rear wall of said guideway so as to hold the envelops pressed against the opposite portion of the front wall of the guideway which opposite portion 196 is hingedly supported at its upper end as at- 197 to the bridge portion of the guideway ai1d is held pressed rearwardly t-oward the belt by a spring 198 as shown clearly in Fig. ll, the hinged portion 196 of the guideway being of substantially the same length as and opposite the rear end of belt 189.

The guideway 172 is provided with an extension 199 of equal length and underlying portion 196 of guideway 171, and is secured rigidly to a pair of rock arms 200 scoured on and projecting upward from a short shaft 201, suitably journaled in the frame. Arms 200 are disposed riarward of the opposite ends of the envelops when occupying the extension 199 of the guideway 172 and bear against the portion 196 of the guideway 171, and one of said arms 200 is provided with a crank 202, pivolally con nected by a link 203 with the crank arm 129 of shaftI 127 hereinbefore described, so that once in each revolution of said shaft said arms 200 are caused to swing forwardly as indicated by the arrow, Fig. f1. In this movement the extension 199 pai-takes, so as to assist in swinging the envelop in the same direction, the forwardly projecting portions 20L of arms 200, pressing against the envelop near its upper edge with sutlicient force to overcome the resistance of the weak springs 19S and swing the hinged guideway portion 196 out of the way. `This movement continues until the envelop is pressed firmly upon the upper strands of the belts 205 occupying the vertical plane of arms `1,20 200, the upper strands of said belts running on a pair of angle plates 206, so as to otter the proper resistance to the pressure of the envelop and feed the same forwardly between said angle plates. It will be noted in this connection that the arms 200 are provided at their front sides with downwardly disposed hooks 207, which engage the envelop forward of their Ilapsso'that as the envelop is moved forward by sald belts 205,

A the flaps shall pass into said hooks in order that said arms as they swing back to their original positions, may swing the flaps open, the movement of the envelop of course eooperat-ing in such result and compelling the flaps to be opened sufficiently wide to compel them to trail behind the envelop in the continued movementof the latter. r1`he belts 205 at their rear and lower ends engage a pair of beltrwheels 209, mounted ona shaft 210, journaled in theframe, and said shaft is equipped with belt Wheels 211 connected by belts' 212 to a pair of drive belt wheels 21S-on shaft 132.

The belts 205- eXtend upwardly and forwardly from wheels 209, the upper strands of said belts running over a pair of belt wheels 214 and the lower strands over belt y wheels 215, journaled respectively on suitably supported shafts 216 and 217. From the guide wheels 214 and 215 the belts extend forwardly and engage wheels 218 on a shaft 219 suitably journaled in hangers 138, the upper port-ions of said belt wheels 218 projecting slightly upward through notches 220 in the rear edge of plate 139, so that the envelop shall be fed by said belts onto plate 139, it being noticed by reference to Fig. 4, that the upper strands of belts 205 between wheels 214 and 218 extend through'parallel guideways 221, for the envelops.- r1he said guidways are supported in any suitable manner, Fig. 4 showing that their rear ends are flared to properly receive the envelops fed thereto by the portions of the belts between wheels 214 and 209, and that the upper sides of the guideways are bent upwardly to form brackets 222 as supports for the forward ends of longitudinal gnideway 107. 1t will thus be seen that the guideways 116 for the folded sheets and 221 for the envelops converge toward the right side for the purpose of conducting such sheets and envelops onto plate 139, it being underi stood that the opened flap of the envelop which. trails behind its body portion in the passage through guideways 221 will project rearwardly beyond the corresponding edge of plate 139, for a purpose which hereinafter appears.

Aboveguideways 116 a longitudinal shaft 223 is journaled in depending portions 224 of the frame and is provided with a pair of cranks 225 to which the rear ends of a pair of wedges 226 are pivotally secured, said wedges normally resting on the plate 139 near its rear edge and/being adapted to yield upwardly to the pressure of the envelop as it is forced forwardly upon said plate. The wedges .are for the purpose of raising the back of the envelop near its connection with the ends of the front 0f the enpair of p ush arms 228 are pivoted, said push arms resting at their free ends on plate 139 or its flaring extensions 1391- (see Fig. 4) and being adapted like the wedges, to yield upwardly to the forward passage of each folded sheet of paper that passes through the guideways 116, it being noticed that the wedges 226, one onlyv appearing in Fig. 7, are disposed in the vertical plane of the ends of the envelop, and preferably beyond the ends of the folded sheet which will be appreciably shorter than the envelop. The function of the push arms 228 is to engage the rear edge of the folded sheet and force it forwardly after it has entered the envelop so that it shall be completely incasedther'eby, that is so that its rear edge shall be forward of the rear edge of the body of the en- 'velop in order that the flap may be properly folded down upon the back and thus coinplete the incasement of the folded sheet. The shaft 223 is provided with a gear wheel 229, meshing with a gear wheel 230 on a parallel shaft 231 suit-ably journaled in depending portions 232 of the frame and provided at one end with a bevel gear 233 meshing wit-h the bevel gear 234 on the transverse shaft 186 provided at its front end with a bevel gear 235 for a purpose which hereinafter appears, said shaft being also provided with a worm gear 236 for a purpose which hereinafter appears.

237 indicates a crank on shaft 231 dis- -posed opposite the center of plate 139 and pivoted at its rear end to said crank is an arched finger 238 which arches over shafts 223 and 137 and restsat its front or free end upon plate 139, when no envelop is upon said plate, said finger yielding upward to the pressure of each envelop as it is forced forward on the plate. The finger is1 of such length that when the envelop has l'come in contact with the projecting portion of guideway 141, it rests on the front portion of the envelop rearward of the back portion thereof so that as shaft 231 rotates and slides said l arched finger forward the latter will arch or buckle upward said back portion of the envelop and at the same time by engagement wit-h the underlying rod 239 carried by the pendent portion 224. of the frame, will be lifted up from the front portion of the envelop so as to be out of the path of the folded sheet of paper which is forced', as hereinbefore explained, into the `envelop while its back portion is buckled or arched upward as described.

240 is a rock frame journaled upon shaft 219 and provided with a fork of hook shape in side view that is to say the tines 241 of `249, meshing with and driven by a worm 250, upon a vertical shaft 251 suitably jour naled in parts rigid with the frame. Said shaft is provided with a bevel gear 252 meshing with a bevel gear 253 on the arma-- ture shaft of an electric motor 254, it being obvious that any other power mechanism may be employed instead of the motor shown. Shaft 251 is also equipped with a bevel gear 255 meshing with a bevel gear 256 on a short shaft 257 journaled in bearing V258 secured in any suitable manner to the frame, and said shaft is equipped with a worm 259 meshing with worm wheel 260 secured on shaft 10 which carries the sectional feed roller 9 for feeding the sheets of paper upward, the worm 259 being incased by bearing 11 and the cap 261 secured to and forming a part of said bearing 11. 262 is a bevel gear mounted on shaft 251 and meshing with a bevel gear 263 on the longitudinally extending shaft 264 suitably jonrnaled and adapted to transmit motion to certain othershafts as hereinafter explained.

A longitudinal guideway arranged horizontally in the plane of guideway 141 and near t-he right hand side of the machine, consists of two similar U-shaped members 265 and 266 (see Fig. 7) which are suitably supported in the frame and register at their rear ends respectively, with a pair of longitudinally extending guideway members 267-268, which slightly exceed in length` the envelops employed, and which are disposed forward of the envelop receptacle 142. The guideway member 267 comprises an upper right-angle' shaped section 269 and a lower straight member 270 hinged at its outer edge as at 271, and held pressed yieldingly upward by one 0r more springs 272, secured to section 269 so as to make member 270 capable of being swung downward as indicated by the adjacent arrow Fig. 10. The section 268 is a rigid section carried by the rock arm 272L projecting to the right over the space between sections 267 and 268 and journaledl en the longitudinally cxtending rod 273 carried by the frame, sce Fig. 10, said arm 272x1 being provided with a crank 274 pivotally connected to the strap 275 of an eccentric 276 mounted upon shaft 264, the arrangement being such that the eccentric once in each revolution, causes arm 272EL and the guidewaysection 268 carried thereby, to swing downward as indicated by the adjacent arrow, Fig. 10, the said arm 272 in such action, engaging the upper side of the envelop containing a folded sheet and occupying guideways 267 and 268, and pressing against it with sufficient force to overcome the resistance of the spring-actuated bottom 270 of guideway 267, so as to force the envelop out of engagement with said guideway. As the eccentric swings arm 272 upward again, the folded envelop slips out of the rear section 268 of the guideway onto the underlying chute 277, 0H which it slides down into-the right-hand end of an underlying receptacle 280 paralleling receptacle 142. Each envelop forced out of guideivay sections 267, 268, by arm 272a as explained, is withdrawn from plate 139 and guideway section 141 by a pair of endless belts 280, engaging belt wheels 280" on short shaft 280c and belt wheels 280d on a suitably journaled shaft 280. The lower strands of said belts Lextending through the alined guideways 265 and 267, and 266 and 268, for the purpose of pressing envelops down upon the lower sections or bottoms of said guideways, and to avoid interfering with the ejection of the envelops at the proper time through the medium of arm 272, as hereinbefore explained, the belt wheels 280b are disposed above the front ends of the guideways 265 and 266 and in order to avoid interfering with the proper disposition of the envelops on the plate 139, the shaft 280c is capable of a slight vertical movement in its bearings and is pivotally connected by eccentric straps 280t with eccentrics 280g on a short shaft 280h suitably journaled in the frame, the rotation of said eccentrics serving once in each revolution to lift shaft 280c and hence lift the lower strands of the belts 280l above plate 139' to permit the envelops delivered to said ilate, to pass under said strands. By the tune a folded sheet is arranged within the envelop and the flap is tucked between said folded sheet a nd the bark of the envelop, the errentries effect the depression of shaft 2h()c and asa resultI thebelts 280a come into engagement with the said underlying envelop and carry it rearward through guideways 265 and 266 and into guidcways 267 and 268, and as it attains a position in the vertical plane of receptacle 28() the arm 272n operates as described, to force it downward onto the underlying chute, the said belts 280a beinflr driven in the direction indicated by the adjacent arrows, Fig. 2,

28()l connecting the belt wheel 28()j on shaft 280c with the belt wheel 280 on shaft 186. As the envelops fall into the receptacle 280, they strike against its end wall 281, which wall is provided at its lower end with a hori- Zontal arm 282. projecting to the left and resting upon flanges 283, projecting inwardly from the lower ends of the side walls through the medium of a crossed belt of the receptacle Q80. Vall 281 is pivotally connected by straps Q84: to ecceiitrics 285 mounted on a suitably joui'iialedshort shaft Q86, the rotation of said eccentrics imparting vibratory movement to end wall 281 in the direction of the length of receptacle 280, the vibrations being suliicient to force each envelop beyond the spring deteiits 287, which deteiits upon 'the occurrence of the opposite movement of the/wall, spring back into the receptacle 230 and prevent the envelop from being carried back with said wall through adhesion or by falling.

288 is a slide block arranged in receptacle Q80 and provided with depending feet 289 resting on flanges 283 outward of the base flange 282 of wall 281 and adapted initially to be disposed adjacent to wall. 281, so that the first envelop pushed past the deteiits by said wall will fall toward and rest against said block, the second envelop against the lirst and so oiiuntil the space between the deteiits and block is completely occupied by envelops. After this occurs each time wall 281 is moved to the left or toward said block and pushes an envelop past said deteiits the pressure will be transferred through the iiitervening eiivelops to said block and thelatter will yield, these actionsl being repeated until eventually the block will r ach the opposite side of the machine and the receptacle will be completely filled with envelops. An attendant will then remove the block `and such envelops and replace'the former iii the receptacle near wall 281 so as to be ready to support the next chai-ge of eiivelops subsequently falling in 'the receptacle from the overlying` chute.-

As the support for the eiivelops and as an aid to wall 231 in carrying them through the receptacle QSO, I provide a slowly moving endless conveyer, consisting preferably of a pair of belts Q37 engaging rollers Q90 on shaft 117 and rollers 291 on shaft 150.

292 is a bevel gear on shaft 9.6i meshing with a bevel gear 293 on a vertical shaft Q94 suitably iournaled and provided with a bevel gear Q95 meshing with a bevel gear Q96 on shaft 147, a second bevel gear 297 on shaft Q91 meshing with a bevel gea-W295i on shaft Q86 to impart rotation to the latter.

299 is a bevel gear on shaft 264 meshing with a bevel gear 300 on the short shaft Q30 carrying the eccentries 280g above referred to. 301 is a bevel gear also on shaftl 264e meshing with a. bevel gear Q35 on shaft 186, the twist gear 236 on said shaft meshing with the twist gear 303 on shaft 51.

301 is a bevel gear on shaft Q64 meshing with the bevel gear 305 on a short vertical shaft 306 suitably journaled, provided with a bevel gear 307 meshing with a bevel gear 308 on shaft S3 carrying the creasing wheels 82. Shaft 306 is also equipped with a bevel gear 309 meshing with a bevel gear 310 on shaft 75 to operate the feed rolls 73, shaft 75 being connected by a gear 311 with a similar gear 312 on shaft 74 for operating the companion pair of feed rolls 72.

313 is a bevel gear on shaft 264 meshing with a bevel gear 314 on a suitably ouriialed l short shaft 315 equipped with a gear pinion 316 meshing with a gear wheel 3.17 on shaft 89, and said shaft is provided with a gear wheel 318 meshing with a gear 319 on shaft 92. Shaft S9 is also provided with a bevel gear 320 meshing with a bevel gear 321 on shaft 96. i v

322 is a worm gear on 'shaft 132 meshing with a worm wheel 393 on a suitably joui.'- iialed shaft. 32A- vof belt wheel 112.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a paper-folding and envelop-filling machine possessing the features of advantage enumerated as desirable aiid which obviously may be modified in various particulars without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

fllaviiig thus described the inventionwhat l claim as new and desii'e to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. ln a machineof thecharzu-,ter described, a folder comprising a liorizontally-arraiiged V-sliaped bottoni and walls projecting upwardly from the side edges of said bottoni and foi-ming at the apex of the latter, a vertical slot or opening, said bottoni having a pair of openings in the plane ofits loiigitudiiial center, a traveling belt below the folder and forming a bottom for said openings, means to feed a horizontally arranged sheet upon the horizontal bottom of the folder at its base end, and toward its apex, and alin'ed creasing wheels to press t-lie paper sheet down upon said underlying belt where the saine forms a bottoni for said openings to crease said paper in line with the apex of the folder.

2. ln a machine of thecharacter described, a folder comprising a horizontally arranged V-shaped bottom and walls projecting up- .'wardly from the side edges of said bottom and forming at the apex of the latter a vertical slot or opening, said bottoni having a pair of openings in the plane of its longitudiiial center, a traveling belt below theA folder aiid forming a bottoni for said openings, means to feed a horizontally arranged i sheet upon the horizontal bottoin of the folder at its base end, and toward its apex, alined creasing wheels to press the paper sheet down upon said underlying belt Where the saine forms a bottom for said openings t0 crease the paper in line with the apex of the folder, and a guideway comprising a U- shaped portion tov receive the folded edge of the sheet as the latter leaves the folder,

and an inverted-U shaped portion to receive the upwardly disposed edges of the sheet at the same time.

3. Inamachine of the character described, a folder comprising a horizontally arranged Vshaped bottom and walls rojecting upwardly from the side edges of said bottom and forming at the 'apex of the latter a vertical slot or opening, said bottom having a pair of openings in the plane of its longitudinal center, a traveling belt below the folder and forming a bottom for said openings, means to feed a horizontally arranged sheet upon the horizontal bottom of the folder at its base end and toward its apex, alined creasing wheels to press the paper sheet down upon said underlying belt where the same forms a bottom for said openings to crease the paper in line with the apex of the folder, a guideway comprising a U- shaped portion to receive the folded edge of the sheet as the latter leaves the folder, and an inverted-U portion above and spaced from the said U-shaped portion to receive the upwardly disposed edges of the sheet at the same time, and traveling conveyers to engage opposite sides of the folded sheet between said guideways to conduct such folded sheet through the latter.

4. In a machine of the character described, a folder comprising a horizontally arranged V-shaped bottom and walls projecting upwardly from the.side edges of said bottom and forming at the apex of the latter a vertical slot or opening, said bottom having a pair of openings in the plane of its longitudinal center, a traveling belt below the folder and formin a bottom for said openings, means to fee a horizontally arranged sheet upon the horizontal bottom of the folder at its base end and toward its apex, alined creasing wheels to press the paper" sheet down upon said underlying belt where the same forms a bottom for said openings to crease the paper in line with the apex of the folder, a guideway comprising a U-shaped portion to receive the folded edge of the sheet as the latter leaves the folder, and an invertedwU portion above and spaced from the said Ushaped portion to receive the upwardly disposed edges of the sheet at the same time, traveling conveyers to engage opposite sides of the folded sheet between said guideways to conduct such folded sheet through the lat` ter, a curved guideway underlying the delivery end of the U-sha ed guideway, and means for forcing the olded sheet downwardly out of said first-named guideway and into the curved guideway.

5. In a machine of the character described, a folder, comprising a horizontally arranged V-shaped bottom and walls pro` jecting upwardly from the side edges of said betteln and forming at the apex of the latter a vertical slot or opening, said bottom having a pair of openings in the plane of its longitudinal center, a traveling belt below the folder and, forming a bottom for said openings, means to feed a horizontally arranged Sheetupon the horizontal bottom of the folder at its base end and toward its apex, alined creasing wheels to press the paper sheet down upon said underlying belt where the same forms a bottom for said openings to crease the paper in line with the apex of the folder, a guideway compris` ing a U-shaped portion to receive the folded edge of the sheet as the latter leaves the,

folder, and an inverted-U portion above and spaced from the said U-shaped portion to receive the upwardly disposed edges of the sheet at the same time, travelin conveyers to engage opposite sides of the olded sheet between said guideway to conduct such folded sheet through the latter, a curved guideway underlying the delivery end of the U-shaped guideway, means for forcing the folded sheet downwardly out of said firstnamed guideway and into the curved guideway, a horizontally arranged folding plate in the plane of the upper side of the curved guideway, endless conveyers extendin through the curved guideway and below said foldmg plate to convey the folded sheet along the bottom of the latter', means for producing a pair of parallel creases in the sheet in substantially the vertical plane of the side edges of said folding plate, and means to force the portions of the sheet outward of said creases upwardly and over upon the folding plate and one upon the other.

6. In a machine of the character described, a suitable frame, a receptacle to receive a stack of sheets and hold them in a substantially upright position, means to successively move the rearmost sheets from said stack upwardly and then cause them to change their course from the upward direction to a rearward direction, means to fold each sheet upwardly from opposite sides so as to cause said sides to assume a substan` tially vertical position, means to convey the sheets in such position to a point rearward of the folder and to cause it to extend transversely of the machine, with its folded edge downward, means to cause it to move downwardly and rearwardly until its folded and free edges are horizontal, means t6 move it rearwardly in such position, means to crease it longitudinally of the machine in parallel lines and fold the portions outward of said crease lines successively downward one upon the other and the mtermediate: portion, means to arrest the folded sheet in its rearward travel, means to cause said folded sheet to move laterally, means to cause said folded sheet to move toward folded sheet in said receptacle, and means i the front end of the machine to a point beto hold sai-'l sheet Substantially upright in low the first-named folder, means to again said receptacle.

change the course of the folded sheet and In testimony whereof I aix my signa- 5 cause it to travel below the folder toward ture in presence of tWo Witnesses.

the opposite side of the machine, means to again change the course of the folded sheet WILBUR B' MCNAMARA' and cause it to move toward the rear end W'tnesses: of the machine, a receptacle extending trans` H. C. RoDGERs,

10 versely of the machine, means to deposit the Gr. Y. THORPE. 

